Page 21 of True As Steel

“Would it be possible to establish an off-world connection?” I asked in a careful tone.

“Your Uncle Cedric is alive,” Haelin said.

I gasped, my hand flying to my chest in shock while joy exploded in my heart. “You talked to him?”

“He messaged me yesterday to say he had survived. We didn’t talk directly. He was on the run. He promised to perform a vidcom as soon as it was safe enough,” Haelin replied. “I will pass the call to you when he does. But it could be hours or days. Lanish has sent a message to your father on Bionus. When he gets back to us, maybe he’ll have more info for you. Please take the next couple of days to evaluate your situation and your plans as well.”

“I want to get back to Bionus, to my father and my family,” I immediately replied.

My chest constricted at the sympathetic expression on Haelin’s face.

“Understandable. However, now is not the time to go there. Emperor Shui didn’t raid Gorkon and Trija—among others—only to back down now. All the rebel survivors, especially the Cyborgs, are a major threat to his despotic rule. Heknowsmany will rally on Bionus. Any ship headed for our homeworld will be intercepted by the Emperor’s forces and shot down if they refuse to be boarded for security checks. Taking the two of you there would require me to send a big enough fleet to make the Kirsian troops cower. Whatever bonds of affection link our families, I’m not putting that many of my troops on the line for a couple of rebels.”

I swallowed hard and gave her a stiff nod. It wouldn’t make sense to jeopardize so many lives just for me to get home, not to mention that I didn’t really know what Jarog’s plans were now.

“Where would it be safe for us to go at this point?” I asked, feeling defeated.

“Honestly, at the moment, the safest place for the two of you is right here, in Satos,” Haelin said. “No one in my city will risk my wrath by trying to collect the bounties on your heads. Anywhere else you go will be at your own risk. You’re both skilled warriors. I could put your talents to good use. But if you’re too antsy, there are a few planets or moons you might try. I’ll send you a list. If you decide to go that route, I can have some prosthetics made to hide your brands. Just be aware that they will only fool the naked eye and some basic scanners. Shui made sure you would never be able to hide his mark on you. And for Cyborgs, the bounty is beyond generous.”

“And I believe your rivals have captured one,” Jarog said.

Haelin smiled, picked up her glass, and leaned back against her chair. “So, you saw the escort?”

“Yes,” I replied in his stead. “But we’re only speculating they have a Cyborg based on the size of the escort. They wouldn’t have needed that many guards for a regular person.”

“Correct,” Haelin said with an approving glimmer in her eyes. “The capsule landed almost at the same time as yours did. The Ferein had more men in the sector. There have been a few fights over it, but Grellik, their leader, has sent reinforcements to hang on to his prize.”

“The Cyborg didn’t fight back?” Jarog asked.

“Not from what I’ve heard,” Haelin said, shaking her head. “Then again, Doc Timmons is on his way to Tarkis, the Ferein city.”

“He’s damaged…” I whispered.

“What?” Jarog asked.

“Doc Timmons is a genius cyber and bioengineer,” I explained. “He’s totally apolitical—and to a certain extent amoral. He’ll work with anyone, on absolutely anything, as long as the project excites him mentally. He loves a challenge. If he’s going to Tarkis, it’s probably to repair the Cyborg.”

“Or to modify him,” Haelin said, tension creeping into her voice. “Grellik will not sell a Cyborg. He doesn’t need the credits, no matter how generous the bounty. He’ll want a killing machine puppet. But that’s a discussion for tomorrow,” she added, glancing at her watch.

The Narengi female rose to her feet, and we did the same.

“Sadly, I must leave you now. Other business calls. Clean clothes and sleepwear have been left for you in the bedroom. There is fresh linen, towels, and anything else you may need in the en suite,” Haelin added, waving at the large set of double doors I had noticed earlier before giving me a teasing smile. “There’s only one very large bed in the room, but the couch is also quite comfortable. Someone will be down shortly to clean this up,” she continued, pointing at the leftover food on the table. You can leave your clothes in the laundry basket in the bedroom. It will be taken care of tomorrow. You may freely come and go between this room and the club, but for now, abstain from going outside of Perdition. I will see you in the morning.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling both relieved and overwhelmed.

Haelin smiled gently and then walked out of the room.

Feeling defeated, I turned around to look at Jarog, but his eyes were glued to the giant screen still playing images of the decimated villages on Gorkon. This time, I truly saw the man beneath the machine. And on his face was etched a world of pain.

Chapter 9

Jarog

Istared at the screen without really seeing it. The images overlapped, and the low volume made the voices talking sound like white noise. Beneath the numbness that wanted to deprive me of rational thoughts, a burning anger simmered. The extent of the Emperor’s betrayal stirred the type of violent emotions I hadn’t felt since my transformation. That rage wasn’t even on my own behalf, even though I’d remained loyal to Shui. It had only been a matter of time before I’d turned my back on his despotic ways. But the Narengi had been right: many Cyborgs had been bound to Gorkon—the vast majority of them loyalists… truer to him than I’d ever been.

Now, with my pod brothers gone and the few surviving Cyborgs that might have forgiven my choice of honoring my oath decimated by this latest attack, I felt like a drowning man, lost in the middle of an agitated ocean.

“I’m sorry, Jarog.”

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